


Sweater Weather

by tuesdaysinoctober



Series: ZK Feb. Flash Fics [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adulthood, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Sweet, zuko and katara go shopping for baby items
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29304912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesdaysinoctober/pseuds/tuesdaysinoctober
Summary: She's disappointed he doesn't have a sweater. He's gonna change thatorZuko and Katara go shopping for Sokka and Suki's baby shower
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Series: ZK Feb. Flash Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143167
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48
Collections: Zutara February Flash Fics





	Sweater Weather

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, 20 minutes before midnight!
> 
> Yes, I'm referencing the SNL "sweater weather" bit
> 
> this wasn't proofread 
> 
> at all
> 
> day 8 for ZKFF (sweater)

“It’s sweater weather,” Katara sings when she steps outside of her and Zuko’s apartment. 

Zuko follows behind her, locking the door as she hurries down the stairs. 

“You always say that when it gets cold,” he says, catching up to her. 

“Of course I do,” she says, as she lowers herself into the passenger seat of their sedan. “It’s the perfect phrase. It signals that it’s cold out and it rolls off the tongue.” 

“Sweater weather,” Zuko says, getting into the drivers side. 

“Sweater weather,” Katara agrees. 

“Sweater weather in our sweaters.” 

“You’re not wearing a sweater. You’re in a button down.” 

“There should be one in the back.” 

“Doesn’t count if you’re not wearing it.” 

“Okay, Katara.” 

“It doesn’t!” 

“I’ll put it on when we go shopping.” 

They pull into a parking garage, parking the car on the third level. Zuko gets out and opens a backseat door, swearing there was a sweater back there while Katara grabs some reusable bags. 

There’s no sweater in sight but there is a blazer, which Zuko pulls on. 

“That’s not a sweater,” Katara says with a pout but her eyes still rake his body. 

“You’re staring,” Zuko says as they start the walk down to the outdoor mall Ba Sing Se is best known for. 

“I’m allowed, aren’t I?” she replies, slightly indignant, but there’s a grin on her face and Zuko gives her a small smile back. 

“Do you know what we’re getting Sokka and Suki?” he asks. 

“Baby clothes.” 

“How is that any use to them?” 

“Well, they’re having a child, if it didn’t help them, it’d help my possible niece or nephew.” 

“I can’t believe they’re waiting to find out,” Zuko says with a shake of his head. 

“I can’t either,” Katara says as she pulls open the door to the department store. “But it’s a very _them_ thing to do, you know? Keep everyone in suspense. I wouldn’t be surprised if they do know the gender and they’re just refusing to tell us.” 

“Suki would never,” Zuko replies, taking in the ridiculous amount of mannequins. 

“Sokka might.” 

“Does Wu’s even have a baby section?” 

“Yeah, like, way in the back.” 

***

The baby section at Wu’s is filled with cute little onesies with animal ears and little wooden toys, whether for decoration or play, Zuko doesn’t know. He doesn’t quite know what Katara’s looking for, and to be honest, he’s not sure if Katara knows either. She was on bedrest after a broken arm from a car accident where the car hit her from behind. This is one of her first times out of their apartment since then and Zuko knew she was dying to do something other than sit around. 

He spends an hour with her, trying to point out all of the color neutral clothing he sees but Katara shakes them off. 

“It’s not right,” she says with a grimace. “It has to be perfect for them.” 

The shopping trip starts to turn into Zuko scrolling mindlessly through social media apps until he remembers Azula’s birthday is in a month and he should get her a present now, otherwise he’ll forget later. 

“I’m gonna see if they have anything for Azula,” he says, and Katara blinks at him in surprise, before giving him a light smile. 

“Am I boring you with baby clothes?” 

“Not really. Well. Maybe a little. But her birthday is coming up, right, and it always pops up with deadlines for work, so might as well get it done now.” 

“Work smarter, not harder, I guess,” Katara says and Zuko chuckles. 

“I’ll be back soon. Chances are, I won’t find anything.” 

Katara pecks him on the cheek, her hand buried in her oversized sweater. He smiles and then heads off toward the women’s section. 

Azula has always had a specific style, the type that says, “I’m a businesswoman and I’ll kill you if you look at me wrong.” and it’s not hard to find in a department store like this. He’s debating between a blouse and a pair of heels that look like they could kill a man, when he sees Mai scrutinizing a dress an aisle over and he ducks behind a mannequin before heading to the men’s section. 

Mai and him have been on rocky terms for a while, no particular reason, they’re always on rocky terms. But today, Zuko doesn’t feel like an ice cold confrontation.  


There are sweaters on sale in the men’s section and he thinks fondly of Katara’s sweater weather bit. He starts to shift through them, seeing mostly colors of brown, black, and grey before a red one catches his eye. 

It’s a decent price and he goes to the checkout line, figuring he could put in the car and get back to Katara to see what baby thing she picked out. 

The cashier smiles at him and they make pleasant small talk, Zuko explaining he’s here with his fianceé to pick out baby presents for his brother-in-law and his girlfriend. 

He drops the bag in the car and starts to hurry back to Wu’s but his reflection catches his eye and on a whim, Zuko slips off his blazer and pulls on the sweater, hiding the tag as best he can. 

Katara is still in the baby aisle when Zuko catches up with her and he grabs a random onesie on the shelf to offer as an idea. 

“Hey, there,” he says, leaning in toward her back. 

“Zuko!” Katara says. “Look, I found this toy.” 

“I found this onesie.” 

“That’s so cute! I love it.” 

She pauses, her head tilting as she looks him up and down. “Where’d you get the sweater?” 

“I guess I didn’t look in the backseat hard enough,” he says with a shrug and she laughs. 

Zuko bends down to kiss her and they stay there, kissing in the baby aisle, their arms wrapped around each other best they can, considering the toy and the onesie until someone clears their throat and they turn to see a mother staring at them with an eyebrow raised. 

“Sweater weather,” Katara says on the way back to the car. 

“Sweater weather,” Zuko agrees.


End file.
